Having a solid foundation in logic can enable you to make decisions more carefully, to pause and … [+] think through issues.
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How often do you make assumptions?
Have a strong position that you can’t exactly back with facts?
Hear someone else’s strong position that sounds like nonsense?
Welcome to the world of logical fallacies.
They’re all around us, daily, monthly, hourly in our conversations with others. Leaders must be aware of these to be more effective. And politicians are the worst offenders—they love love love logical fallacies.
Logical fallacies are quite similar to cognitive biases which can be defined as the systematic departure from rational thinking. Logical fallacies compromise our ability to think critically and have sound logic to back up our position. They’re flaws in our logic.
How We Fool Ourselves And Others
Without solid logic we cannot create a persuasive argument. And having a solid foundation in logic can enable one to make decisions more carefully, to pause and think through issues. So why are logical fallacies—the departure from logic and facts to back up one’s argument—so prevalent today?
2 reasons:
1. People can be lazy
2. It’s a quick seemingly effective strategy when under pressure and you need a ‘sleight of mouth’ like a magician’s sleight of hand
Once you know the most common logical fallacies, you’ll start to notice them constantly. Both in your, and others’, communication.
Before we dive into them, let’s see what’s happening in your brain when logical fallacies are used. If you don’t have an appropriate response or feel wobbly in your position, it’s likely your dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex is attempting to control your behavior so you come across as more credible. But that’s likely not going to work, since your amygdala is perceiving threat and thus attacking instead of simply dealing with the issue at hand. Your survival instinct will always win when your brain perceives threat!
The 8 Most Common Logical Fallacies
Which of these do you see most often in others? In yourself?
1. Ad hominim – attacking the person (not the issue) in order to divert attention to another topic and not deal with the original one.
a. Example: “You can’t have an opinion on climate change since you don’t recycle.”
b. Solution: bring the speaker back to the topic at hand
2. Red herring – distracting or misleading someone to prolong an argument or change the topic
a. Example: “Would you pick up the dry cleaning on the way home?” Reply: “You never take the trash out!”
b. Solution: bring the speaker back to the topic at hand
3. Strawman – exaggerate a claim/topic to knock it down (see our blog on why people lie—you’ll find some helpful info there)
a. Example: “We need to figure out how to afford to best do business in California”. Reply: “Why are you telling us to shut down California operations?”
b. Solution: Ask yourself: Can two things be true at once? Do I know enough about the issue to even voice my opinion? Can I acknowledge that this is a complex multi-faceted topic?
4. Slippery slope – a claim that follows a progression and ultimately leads to disaster.
a. Example: “If we let animals into our store, then everyone will bring them and they’ll pee and poop all over the place and break the merchandise and scare the other shoppers away and we’ll go out of biz and have to file bankruptcy and move to the slums.”
b. Solution: There may be some logic here, and yes, there could be a domino effect, but one step does not always lead to another and ultimate disaster. Let’s consider all the possibilities and options.
5. False dilemma – a person claims there are only 2 options, ignoring all other options.
a. Example: – “If we don’t order dinner via Door Dash we’ll have to eat whatever is in the pantry and that’ll be awful.”
b. Solution: There are a TON of food sources besides Door Dash. Recognize that other options exist.
6. Hasty generalization – someone jumps to a conclusion or generalizes without thinking through or doing the research.
a. Example: “People who point their finger are rude.”
b. Solution: Really? ALL people who point are rude? Slow down, pause, think it through
7. Appeal to authority – exaggerate a person’s authority or expertise, and generally become close-minded.
a. Example: “My doctor said that if you want to be healthy you must stop drinking coffee.”
b. Solution: Consider more sources! Question authority!
8. Begging the question – a statement is made as fact without evidence that the claim is true
a. Example: “Acai is good for you because it’s a dark berry.”
b. Solution: Why are dark berries good for you? Where’s the evidence for this claim? Ask for the factual back up for the claim.
Notice when you and others use these logical fallacies. You’ll find that they’ll result in you no longer being offended when someone uses ad hominim against you, and you’ll also find that you’ll likely say “but why/that’s not the question I asked/where’s the proof” and other phrases to help others pause and assess their own logical fallacies.
Let’s all become more logical and stronger critical thinkers!
